More of a FYI:
Alberta and Quebec host new stealth jets
OTTAWA -
They don't arrive until 2016, but the Tory government was busy Thursday sketching out the parking spaces for the air force's new stealth fighters.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay and his parliamentary secretary, Laurie Hawn, held simultaneous announcements in Quebec and Alberta to confirm that the operational fleet will be split between two bases.
Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alta., and CFB Bagotville, Que. already host the air force's existing fleet of CF-18 Hornet jetfighters and will be home for the new single-engine F-35 Lightnings, a $9-billion purchase that has created a storm of political controversy.
Each air strip will get 24 fighters. The remaining 17 aircraft will be set aside for training.
When a 20-year maintenance contract is factored in, the cost of the new planes could hit $16 billion, making it relatively one of the largest military purchases in the country's history.
Both bases will also see a few million dollars in upgrades.
The F-35s have started roll off the Lockheed Martin assembly line in the U.S., but Ottawa doesn't intend to take delivery of Canada's first plane for six years.
Despite that, Hawn said it was important to let ground crews and base administrators know what the government intended to do but critics suggested politics was at play.
The basing of aircraft fleets, with their spin off economic benefits, became highly politicized in the past. The Defence Department hesitated for months before announcing it would base the new squadron of CH-47F Chinook helicopters at CFB Petawawa, Ont., instead of Quebec.
One question left hanging after Thursday's announcement was whether advanced fighter training would continue at the Cold Lake air base.
Hawn said that is something which has yet to be decided.
A House of Commons committee will hold hearings this fall into the purchase, which opposition parties say is too expensive and unnecessary, especially when the country is facing years of deficit fighting.
Commentators and defence analysts have also questioned why the country needs a stealth fighter, which is considered in military circles to a first-strike weapon.
But Hawn, a former air force officer, said stealth has important advantages in both air defence and ground attacks. The tougher it is to see an aircraft, the less someone will be able to shoot at it.
Alberta and Quebec host new stealth jets - News - MSN CA